French Onion Soup

What’s not to love about grilled cheese on a chunky slice of bread? Pop that on top of a steaming bowl of French onion soup to soak up the delicious flavours and you’ll be hooked.

Ingredients

1.5 KG onions

3 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

4-6 cloves of garlic

Half tsp salt

Half tsp round black pepper

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 litres beef or vegetable stock

2 cups red wine

1 crusty loaf sliced

Grated cheese mix (we recommend gouda, parmesan, gruyere)

Method

Chop the onions.

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pan

Crush and peel the garlic. Caramelize the garlic in the olive oil and butter.

Pour in the onions, season with salt and pepper, and stir just until the onions are coated in the oil and butter.

Add in the fresh thyme and the bay leaf and let the onions caramelise, about 20 minutes. You want the heat lowish for this, to avoid crispy onions

Once the onions are caramelised and have cooked down, pour in the stock

Then, pour in the wine and simmer, uncovered, for at least an hour and as much as three hours, tasting occasionally to adjust the flavours.

Toast the bread; you can rub both sides with a cut clove of garlic first, if you like. You'll want 2 pieces of bread per person - one for the bottom of the bowl, and one for on top. Add grated cheese and grill

TO SERVE: drop a toast slice in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle in the soup and cover with a second slice of toast.